Russian/dutch soprano  Elnara Muermans was born in Krasnodar and grew up in Chukotka, in the far North-East of Russia. 

 

She began to play the accordion when she was 8 years old at the music school, followed by high school/college and University of Culture and Arts in Saint-Petersburg. 
She studied by great masters of accordion art: Alexander Shkaev and Nina Dronova.

As an accordion player she participated in several bands from Saint Petersburg, playing in Russia and in Europe. But Elnara always had the dream of performing as a classical singer.

 

Elnara began her vocal studies under the influence and lessons with the famous Russian classical singer Rimma Volkova - Mariinsky Theatre soloist (1967- 1993).

 

Now Elnara is living in Holland. 

 

In 2015 she finalized her Master of Voice at the Conservatory of Amsterdam under the guidance of Pierre Mak. 

She participated in several master-classes and worked with Edith Wiens, Nelly Miricioiu, William Matteuzzi, David Parry, Luca Gorla, Ira Siff, Annett  Andriesen, Montserrat Caballé, and  Mirella Freni.

 

In 2010, together with her sister Gulnara Shafigullina (soprano), Elnara recorded the CD "Gallery of russian songs".

 

Elnara performed in Germany, Russia, The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, France, Turkey and Italy. She sings in many languages : German, Italian, Russian, French, Spanish, English, Dutch, Tatar, Turkish, Ukrainian and also Hebrew!

 

Elnara is a versatile artist, who can work with any musical collective and helps to make  the conductor’s and stage director’s most crazy dreams come true.

 

Together with multi-instrumentalist, composer and actor Yuri Ryadchenko (Ukraine /Turkey), Elnara works in the project "R.I.S.E." (russian instrumental & soprano explosion).

 

Elnara has participated in many opera and theater projects, for example the theater project “La Llorona” in the context of NJO Music Summer 2012.

 

During the summer of 2013, together with Riciotti Orchestra, Elnara has performed more than 60 concerts in two weeks’ time in Holland and Russia!

 

In May 2015 at the Conservatory of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) Elnara sang two roles in one night: Nedda (Opera “Pagliacci”, R. Leoncavallo) and Santuzza ( Cavalleria Rusticana, P. Mascagni).

 

In September 2015, while taking part in the International school of Russian Opera (www.ivc.nu) Elnara sang with great success at the National Opera Amsterdam the role of Zemfira in Rachmaninov's Opera “Aleko”.

 

A performance of Elnara is one you should not easily forget. She knows how to use her talents and to convey to the audience. She takes her audience along love, passion, humor, emotion and tenderness.